Rack for shelf brackets



Dec.-22, 1964 L. M. HOBSON 3,162,312

RACK FOR SHELF BRACKETS Filed Feb. 28, 1963 INVENTOR. Y LAWRENCE M. HOBSON BY BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN A-T TO R N'E YS United States Patent Ofifice 3,162,312 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,312 RACK FOR SHELF BRACKETS Lawrence M. Hobson, Portland, Greg, assignor to Dor- File Manufacturing Portland, Greg, a corporation of Oregon Filed Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 261,747 8 Claims. (Cl. 2111-59) This invention relates to racks for shelf brackets, and more particularly to apertured panel racks for holding and displaying cantilever type shelf brackets.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apertured panel racks for supporting cantilever type shelf brackets.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive apertured panel hooks for holding cantilever type shelf brackets.

A further object of the invention is to provide apertured panel hooks adapted to utilize commercially available apertured panel hook structures.

The invention provides racks for supporting adjustable, cantilever type shelf brackets. In an apertured panel hook forming one embodiment of the invention there is provided base means for attachment to an apertured panel and carrying an elongated, horizontally extending key adapted to have the shelf brackets slid thereon and therefrom. The key is provided with an edge portion adapted to slide under one hooklike ear of the shelf bracket and fit between the overhanging hook portion of that ear and the base of the bracket to give a keying action together with another edge portion adapted to engage the other hooklike ear of the shelf bracket to maintain the first edge portion under the hooklike portion. The key in one embodiment of the invention is adapted to be held in a substantially horizontal plane to support such shelf brackets in depending position therefrom when the shelf brackets are of a type in which the bases thereof are at substantially right angles to the shelf-supporting portions of the brackets, and the key in an alternate embodiment of the invention lies in a plane inclined relative to the horizontal to support shelf brackets having base portions inclined at an acute angle relative to the shelf-supporting portionsof thebrackets in positions in which the shelfsupporting portions thereof extend substantially vertically.

A complete understandingof the invention may be obtained from the following'detailed description of apertured panel hooksforming specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings,

in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation view of an apertured panel carrying apertured panel hooks forming embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an apertured panel hook forming one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevation view of the apertured panel hook of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of the apertured panel of FIG. 1 illustrating an apertured panel hook forming an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevation view of an apertured panel hook forming an alternate embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, an apertured panel rack assembly (FIG. 1) includes a pegboard 12 adapted to support apertured panel hooks 14, 16, 18 and 2t) illustrating four forms of the invention. The hooks 14, 16, 18 and 20 are designed to hold adjustable, cantilever type shelf brackets 22 having base portions 24 at right angles to elongated shelf-supporting members 26, the brackets 22 being slidable onto and off from the with the member 70. Hooklike cars 72 of the r base 24. The keying apertured panel hooks. Each shelf bracket 22 is provided with hooklike ears 28 which extend in the same general direction and have overhanging hook portions 30 facing in the same direction with rectangular keying slots 32 formed between the overhanging hook portions and the bases 24. The apertured panel hooks 14 and 16 are similar but the hook 314 is shorter than the book 16, and the hook 14 includes a rod or wire base or fastening portion 36 of known construction adapted to hook into the apertured panel, and also is provided with an elongated rod or wire shank portion 38 extending horizontally from the apertured panel. A keying plate 40 is secured integrally to the bottom side of the shank portion 38 so that it lies in a horizontal plane and has a rounded nose portion 42. The plate 40 and the shank portion are secured together by welding, brazing or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the keying plate 40 extends substantially equi distantly beyond each side of the shank portion 38. The keying plate 40 is of a thickness very slightly less than the thickness of the slot 32 between the overhanging hook portion and the base 24 of the bracket 22, and is of a width extending from the shank portion of the lefthand hooklike ear 28 to the shank portion of the righthand hooklike ear 28, as viewed in FIG. 3. The plate 49 is rectangular in cross-section so that it keyingly engages the walls of the slot 32 of the bracket 22, and prevents turning movement of the bracket 22 relative to the plate 40.

The apertured panel hook 16 is substantially identical with the apertured panel hook 14, but has a greater carrying capacity than the hook 14. The hook 16 has a keying plate 50, which is substantially longer than the keying plate 40 of the hook 14. The hook 16 also includes a wire or rod base or fastening portion 52 of known construction adapted to hook into the apertured panel 12,

as illustrated best in FIGT I, and also includes an elonviewed in FIG. 1, the plate 60 extending horizontally and lying in a plane inclined relative to the horizontal at the same angle at which a base 66 of the shelf bracket 68 makes with the horizontal when a shelf-supporting member 70 of the bracket extends vertically from the keying plate 60, the base 66 forming about a 45 angle shelf bracket 68 extend perpendicularly from the base 66, the cars 72 being arranged on and oriented relative to the base 66 identically with the arrangement of the cars 28 on the plate 69 fits between the shank portions of the ears 72 and fits into the keying slot 73 of the upper righthand car 72 to key the bracket to the keying p ate.

The apertured panel hook 20 includes a rod or Wire shank portion (FIG. 5) to which is fixed a keying plate 82 similar to but narrower than the keying plate 40, and, instead of being centered relative to the shank portion 80 as is the plate 40 relative to the shank portion 38, the plate 32 extends substantially farther to the left of the shank portion 86 than it does to the right of the shank portion 80. The righthand portion of the plate 82 does not fully enter the slot 32 beneath the hook portion 30 of the righthand ear 23. .The shank portion 8t) engages slidably the edge of the nose or end of the hook portion 30 to hold the lefthand edge of the keying plate 82 against the lefthand ear 28. T e keying plate 32 keys the cars 28 and-the base 24' thereto and prevents turning.

ting easy racking of the bracketsand easy removal 'of the brackets from the apertured panel hooks. The hooks may be attached to any portions of the 'apertured panel 12 and hold the brackets in generally vertically extending posi-Q tions so that they present a neat, attractive appearance.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrange-v ments are simply illustrative of the application "of the principles of the invention. Numerous. other. arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination, a shelf bnackethaving a ears projecting from the base and provided with parallel shank portions spaced apart a first predetermined distance and hook portions extending in the same direction from the shank portions and spaced laterally from the base a second predetermined distance, 1 a generally vertical support, and a hook fixed to and keyed to slid therealong and removed therefrom and to fit be tween the shank portion and under one of the hook first predetermined distance and a thickness not greater than said second predetermined distance and fitting the support in a posi-' tion extending therefrom and comprising an elon- I gated, rigid keying plate permitting the'bracket to'be base; and a pair of hooklike bracket on the hook, suspendtheshelf bracket from a said one of 'the hook portions and permit sliding.

movement of the bracket 2. In combination, a substantially vertical support member, .a hook comprising attachment means mounted on the support memberfand an elongated,

rigid plate supported by the attachment means at one end in .aposition lying in a horizontal plane and have ond hooklike ear provided with a shankportionf spaced from the first ear, a first predetermined distance just slightly greater than saidpredetermined width, 7

on toand off of the plate.

removably I portions and havinga width almost as great as said a 4 ond ear and also having-a thickness-just slightly less than said second predetermined distance so that the bracket is held by the hook against turning on the hook, the bracket being adapted 'to be slid onto and off of theplateand be hung from the plate with the plate positioned between the shank portions and under the second ear. '3. In combination, V e a plurality of :shelfbracketsof which each has 'a base portion and a pair of hooklike ears facing in the same direction and having shanks extending from a straight edge portion of the base portion and also" being'provided with hook portions extending in the same direction from the shanks, a

i an apertured plate member supported rigidly in a generally vertical position,

an elongated, rigid, keying member permitting the brackets to :be slid thereonto and off therefrom and having in cross-sectional outline a first portion extending under the hook portionlofo'ne of the ears of such a shelf bracket to support the weight of the brackets, and means mounting the keying member Lon theplate member in a position extending away from the plate member and holding the keying member against turning movement of the keying member about the longitudinal axis thereof relative'to, the plate member, i i the keying member fitting between the shanks and under one of the hook portions. and also having a sharp lower corner positioned-opposite to the first portion thereof and also being provided with'means holding saidone of the earsina position in which the hook portion of. the other earof the shelf bracket engages the sharp lower corner and the shelf bracket is held thereby against swinging downwardly away from the ke'ying member;

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the keying plate isv of such a widthtas to extend laterally substantially from the shankportio-n of one ear to the shank portion of the ethereal, a

5. The combination of claim 1 including a', supporting rod secured to one faceiof the keyingjplate and supportmentioned ear.

the second ear also having a hook portion projecting i from the shank portion toward the first ear and spaced from the base a second predetermined dis-" tance, the plate having a sharp lower corner engaging the sec-.1

ing-the keying plate in a position therebelow.

6. The combination "of claim 5 wherein the rod: is

adapted' to engage one of'theears'to limit movement of the keyingplateunder the overhanging portion, of the last- The cornbinationof claim l wherein the keying 131m lies'i'na substantially horizontal plane;

'8. The combination of claim 1 wherein the keying plate lies in a plane tilted'relative. to the horizontal.

References cited the Examiner 7 u YUNITED STATES, PATENTS 1,343,423 6720 Todd 211 59 X 3,070,339 12/62, Schayer 242 223 .CLAUDE AIILE ROY, Primary xa iner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner, 

1. IN COMBINATION, A SHELF BRACKET HAVING A BASE AND PROVIDED WITH EARS PROJECTING FROM THE BASE AND PROVIDED WITH PARALLEL SHANK PORTIONS SPACED APART A FIRST PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND HOOK PORTIONS EXTENDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM THE SHANK PORTIONS AND SPACED LATERALLY FROM THE BASE A SECOND PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, A GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT, AND A HOOK FIXED TO AND KEYED TO THE SUPPORT IN A POSITION EXTENDING THEREFROM AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, RIGID KEYING PLATE PERMITTING THE BRACKET TO BE SLID THEREALONG AND REMOVED THEREFROM AND TO FIT BETWEEN THE SHANK PORTION AND UNDER ONE OF THE HOOK 